The Prevalence, Serogroup Distribution and Risk Factors of Meningococcal Carriage in Children, Adolescents and Young Adults in Turkey Meningo-Carr-TR Study PART 3: COVID-19 Pandemic Situation.

Background: The prevalence of meningococcal carriage and serogroup distribution is crucial for assessing the epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease, forecasting outbreaks and formulating potential immunization strategies. Following the meningococcal carriage studies conducted in Turkey in 2016 and 2018, we planned to re-evaluate meningococcal carriage in children, adolescents and young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Methods: In the MENINGO-CARR-3 study, we collected nasopharyngeal samples from 1585 participants 0-24 years of age, across 9 different centers in Turkey.

Unraveling the hormonal approaches for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and its complementary interventions.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune, chronic, systemic inflammatory disease that causes redness, swelling, stiffness, and joint pain. It is a long-lasting disease that can have a widespread impact on the body, often affecting the hands, feet, and wrists. The immune cells, such as dendritic cells, T cells, B cells, macrophages, and neutrophils, play a significant role in bone degradation and inflammation.

Effects of immune modulatory treatment on language and psychiatric profile in patients with electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES).

Electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES) is an electrographic pattern associated with cognitive impairment. Our study aimed to prospectively evaluate the psychiatric findings and language skills in patients diagnosed with ESES and to determine the immune modulatory treatment-responsive subgroups. We assessed the patients for psychiatric features and language skills at the baseline and 12 months after.

Heterozygous BTNL8 variants in individuals with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with intestinal manifestations. Genetic predisposition, including inborn errors of the OAS-RNAseL pathway, has been reported. We sequenced 154 MIS-C patients and utilized a novel statistical framework of gene burden analysis, "burdenMC," which identified an enrichment for rare predicted-deleterious variants in BTNL8 (OR = 4.

Harnessing Extrinsic Dissipation to Enhance the Toughness of Composites and Composite Joints: A State-of-the-Art Review of Recent Advances.

Interfaces play a critical role in modern structures, where integrating multiple materials and components is essential to achieve specific functions. Enhancing the mechanical performance of these interfaces, particularly their resistance to delamination, is essential to enable extremely lightweight designs and improve energy efficiency. Improving toughness (or increasing energy dissipation during delamination) has traditionally involved modifying materials to navigate the well-known strength-toughness trade-off.

Assessing the efficacy of pearl millet and finger millet enriched breakfast cereals to combat obesity.

This research explores the development and evaluation of breakfast cereals formulated from pearl millet (P-1) and finger millet (F-1) flours, with a focus on their nutritional composition and potential anti-obesity properties. The techno-functional properties were assessed, revealing that P-1 exhibited a bulk density of 0.40 ± 0.

Controlled release and biological properties of prochitosomes loaded with Arthrospira derived peptides: Membrane stability, chemical, morphological and structural monitoring.

In this study, the effects of chitosan-coating on maintaining the integrity and stability of the membrane, structural, and morphological changes, and the release of loaded peptides inside nanoliposomes during various in vitro release, thermal, freeze-thaw, shear, and dehydration (spray-drying) tensions were evaluated. Among different peptidic fractions (100, 30, and 10 kDa), the Arthrospira derived PF-30 kDa showed a higher nutritional and biological value. PF-30kDa was loaded successfully (EE ~ 90 %) inside nanoliposomes (NLs) and its stabilization was done with chitosan coating (0.

Study of the effect of feeding larvae during their rearing on their growth, nutritional profile, value and safety of the produced flour.

Science and food industry must strive to ensure and improve edible insect's benefits, and especially their safety and nutritional value. This study investigated how various food substrates used in the rearing of larvae influence their growth, the safety of the larvae, and the nutritional quality of the resulting flour. The main findings indicate that all samples showed significant differences in their nutritional profile, larval characteristics, and heavy metal content.

Ferulic acid: extraction, estimation, bioactivity and applications for human health and food.

Ferulic acid ((E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl) prop-2-enoic acid) is a derivative of caffeic acid found in most plants. This abundant phenolic compound exhibits significant antioxidant capacity and a broad spectrum of therapeutic effects, including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, cardiovascular and neuroprotective activities. It is absorbed more quickly by the body and stays in the bloodstream for a longer period compared with other phenolic acids.

Proximate Analysis and Techno-Functional Properties of Root Powder: Implications for Food Industry Applications.

, commonly known as Indian barberry, has been traditionally used for its medicinal properties. Despite its recognized pharmacological benefits, its potential application in the food industry remains underexplored. This study aims to investigate the proximate analysis and techno-functional properties of root powder to evaluate its feasibility as a functional food ingredient.

A critical review on : current status, physicochemical attributes, and food industrial applications.

Phytomedicine as an alternative to conventional medications which become more interested for researcher. () has been used for centuries to cure a range of illnesses. , commonly known as the miracle tree, ben oil tree, and drumstick tree, is a family plant whose latin name is Lam.

Comparison of Serum Neurofilament Light Chain and Tau Protein Levels in Cases with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Healthy Siblings and Healthy Controls.

Objective: : There is a growing interest among clinicians and researchers in identifying potential biomarkers associated with autism. Neurofilament light chain (NfL) and Tau protein, which are proteins associated with neurodegeneration and neuroaxonal degeneration, are particularly promising potential biomarker candidates in this field.

Methods: : In this study, we compared serum NfL (sNfL) and serum Tau (sTau) levels in Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients, their healthy siblings (HS), and healthy controls (HC), aimed to investigate their relationship with ASD severity.

Exploring the natural efficacy of spirulina powder for combating obesity, diabetes, and inflammation.

Background: An increasing incidence of metabolic disorders emphasizes the need to explore natural treatments. Spirulina, a microalga with a rich nutrient profile, offers a promising solution for obesity, diabetes, and inflammation. This study provides a meticulous analysis of spirulina powder, evaluating its physicochemical attributes and technofunctional properties through the use of advanced analytical techniques.

Controlling hypersonic boundary layer transition with localized cooling and metasurface treatments.

This study investigates a novel method to control hypersonic boundary layer transition using a combined local cooling and local metasurface treatment. The method's effectiveness was investigated on a 5-degree half-angle blunt wedge with a nose radius of 0.0254 mm at a freestream Mach number of 6.

Production, characterization, and potential applications of lipopeptides in food systems: A comprehensive review.

Lipopeptides are a class of lipid-peptide-conjugated compounds with differing structural features. This structural diversity is responsible for their diverse range of biological properties, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Lipopeptides have been attracting the attention of food scientists due to their potential as food additives and preservatives.

Vitamin B12: prevention of human beings from lethal diseases and its food application.

Vitamin B12, a water-soluble essential micronutrient, plays a pivotal role in numerous physiological processes in the human body. This review meticulously examines the structural complexity and the diverse mechanisms through which vitamin B12 exerts its preventive effects against a spectrum of health conditions, including pernicious anaemia, neurological disorders, obesity, diabetes, dyslipidaemia and complications in foetal development. The selection of articles for this review was conducted through a systematic search across multiple scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science.

Understanding the heterocyclic aromatic amines: An overview and recent findings.

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) constitute a group of highly toxic organic compounds strongly associated with the onset of various types of cancer. This paper aims to serve as a valuable resource for food scientists working towards a better understanding of these compounds including formation, minimizing strategies, analysis, and toxicity as well as addressing existing gaps in the literature. Despite extensive research conducted on these compounds since their discovery, several aspects remain inadequately understood, necessitating further investigation.

A Misdiagnosis of MIS-C: Acute Pneumococcal Meningitis Due to Serotype 19F in A Child with Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection with a Severe Disease Course.

According to the 2020 CDC criteria, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) due to Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) is diagnosed when all of the following criteria are met: fever for+≥+24 hours, laboratory evidence of inflammation, multisystem (+≥+2) organ involvement, evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection or exposure, and no alternative plausible diagnoses (CDC, 2020). Alternative diagnosis need to be excluded before coming upon an MIS-C diagnosis since there are plenty of infectious diseases that may mimic MIS-C (Dworsky et al., Pediatr Infect Dis J 2021; 40; e159-e161; Yalçinkaya et al.

Manufacture of Low-Na White Soft Brined Cheese: Effect of NaCl Substitution with a Combination of Na-K Salts on Proximate Composition, Mineral Content, Microstructure, and Sensory Acceptance.

All over the world, especially in Western societies, table salt intake that is inordinately higher than the acceptable level has been observed. An excess of Na in the human diet, mostly from processed foods, is becoming the "number one killer", leading to increased blood pressure. Therefore, the food industry is faced with a need to reduce Na in human nutrition in an effort to raise public health protection to a higher level.

BCM-7: Opioid-like Peptide with Potential Role in Disease Mechanisms.

Bovine milk is an essential supplement due to its rich energy- and nutrient-rich qualities. Caseins constitute the vast majority of the proteins in milk. Among these, β-casein comprises around 37% of all caseins, and it is an important type of casein with several different variants.

Effects of Telenursing on Drug Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, health services offered to individuals diagnosed with mental disorders were interrupted, and use of alternative methods, such as telenursing, came to the forefront.

Method: Sixty-four individuals with schizophrenia participated in the current randomized controlled trial that evaluated whether a telenursing intervention affected their drug attitudes, self-efficacy, and quality of life. Pretest, posttest, and follow-up measurements were obtained for experimental and control groups from May to August 2021.

Factors Predicting Mental Health Literacy in Older Adults: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: To determine mental health literacy (MHL) levels of older adults and the predictive factors of MHL.

Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2022, with 410 older adults aged ≥65 years. A Personal Information Form and the Mental Health Literacy Scale were used for data collection.